Glasgow sets out two GenAI assessment scenarios for 2026/27

Updated Sep 07, 2026

Glasgow's 7 July 2026 implementation notice describes two scenarios for GenAI use in assessment from the start of 2026/27. The university updated its guidance in May and allowed time for staff to adjust assessments.

This is one Scottish university's policy. It does not create a common permission to use AI in assessments at other institutions.

The two scenarios

The assessment scenarios page distinguishes:

• Supervised assessment: GenAI is generally prohibited during controlled tasks unless expressly permitted. Examples include invigilated examinations, in-class tests, practical work and vivas. Students may use it for preparation or revision without acknowledging that preparatory use, while avoiding over-reliance.
• Unsupervised assessment: GenAI is generally permitted with acknowledgement, subject to conditions in the particular assessment brief. Staff may restrict or prohibit it. Students must retain substantially their own work and thinking, check accuracy and follow instructions. Acknowledgement does not make a substantial AI contribution automatically acceptable.

For permitted use, the guidance asks students to identify the tools, explain their use and describe their own contribution. It also encourages students to ask in advance when uncertain.

Communication and the transition

Staff should specify the scenario and any conditions before students start formative or summative work. The July notice says updated student guidance would be communicated centrally ahead of 2026/27 and shared through Moodle, briefs and class discussion. That is the announced implementation plan, not independent verification that every course has delivered it.

The notice explicitly retains the existing guidance until assessments set in 2025/26 have been marked. It also explains why the previous student-facing advice remained for summer dissertations and the August exam period. The transition should therefore be understood by assessment year, not as an immediate July switch for all work.

Glasgow's student AI page supports ethical, critical and transparent use of tools. That broad position must be read alongside the specific assessment rules.

What student feedback can help investigate

As a practical review, ask whether students could identify the applicable rule, find it before starting and understand how to acknowledge permitted use. Compare their accounts with the actual brief and staff instructions. Differences between assessments can have sound pedagogical reasons; variation itself is not evidence of unfairness or a failed policy.

If explanations conflict, record the relevant task and timing, seek clarification from the course team and check that students receive the corrected information. If explanations agree but remain hard to understand, test examples with students. These are recommendations for implementation review, not findings that Glasgow's new model has already succeeded or failed.

Interpreting comments

Open comments may reveal uncertainty that a broad satisfaction item misses. They cannot establish how common a problem is among all students, demonstrate academic misconduct or prove that a policy caused a change in trust.

Use the governance checklist to document review responsibilities and escalation. Keep the assessment context with the theme, avoid inferring an individual's conduct from a general comment and distinguish a request for clarification from an allegation. Analysis should support a reasoned response by staff, not replace it.

FAQ

Does Glasgow allow unrestricted AI use in take-home work?

No. Acknowledgement, accuracy, original contribution and task-specific restrictions all matter; a coordinator can prohibit use for a particular assessment.

When does the two-scenario model apply?

From the start of 2026/27. The July notice preserves the previous guidance for assessments set in 2025/26 until they have been marked.

Is the feedback advice a new sector requirement?

No. It is our practical interpretation of how an institution might review clarity, separate from Glasgow's own assessment rules.

Correction, 7 September 2026: Added the original-work and accuracy conditions, the preparation/revision exception and the transition for 2025/26 assessments. Qualified claims about implementation, policy effectiveness and the comparative value of comment analysis.

References

University of Glasgow: GenAI for Assessment Guidance in Academic Year 2026-27, 7 July 2026.

University of Glasgow: GenAI Assessment Scenarios and student AI position, undated; checked 7 September 2026.